Railroad-spike holder.



H. A. MANSFIELD RAILROAD SPIKE HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. I916.

Patented Jan. 9

HARRY A. MANSFIELD, OF MONROE, NEBRASKA.

RAILROAD-SPIKE HOLDER.

Application filed June 15, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY A. MANSFIELD, acitizen of the United States, residing at Monroe, in the county ofPlatte and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railroad-Spike Holders, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a holder for railway spikes and is designed toprevent spreading of the rails and accidental removal of the spike, atthe same time permit-- ting'slight lifting movement of the rail, theresult of temperature changes and the natural spring of a wooden tieduring passage of a train.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafterdescribed, pointed out in the claims, and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in position, a rail beingshown in cross section, and a tie being partly in section and partlybroken away. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section through the device, in position for use. Fig. 4: isan inverted plan view of the holder, detached. Fig. 5 is a view lookingtoward the inner end of the holder, removed from position.

In the drawings 1 designates a tie, 2 a rail and 3 the usual spikes.

The spike holder as a whole is designated as A and consists of a block 5which carries on its under face V-shaped shoes 6 adapted to form groovesA in the tie on opposite sides of the spike, when the shoes are driveninto position. block and have oppositely inclined ends 7 and 8, thelatter sloping upwardly and inwardly. This forms each shoe at its outerend with a point so that after the device has been driven into positionany outward movement will tend to dig the shoes into the outer endportions of the grooves 4 formed in forcing the shoes into the tie.

The upper part of the block 5 has an in- Specification of LettersPatent.

Said shoes project beyond the Patented J an. 9, 1%1'7.

Serial No. 103,762.

wardly' extending transversely curved head 9 which receives andpractically envelops the spike head, but at the same time allows byslight spacing for upward movement of the rail to a limited extent. Theblock is held against removal by a pin or supplemental spike l0.

When properly positioned the hood pre vents removal of the spike withoutfirst removing the holder A, and where through temperature changes therail has lifted slightly, lifting the spike with it, the latter isdriven back into position by passage of a train, the hood then pressingon the spike head and forcing it downwardly.

The advantages of this device will be obvious to those using devices ofthis character or engaged in railway construction.

What I claim is 1. A device of the kind described comprising a block,shoes carried by the underface of the block and projecting laterallybeyond the block, said shoes having oppositely inclined ends, and atransversely curved projecting hood carried by the upper portion of theblock.

2. A spike holder comprising a block having an upwardly sloping outerface, a horizontally projecting hood carried by the upper portion of theblock, and shoes carried by the under face of the block and projectingbeyond the same, said shoes being V- shape in cross section and havingoppositely tapering end portions.

3. The combination with a wooden tie and a spike, of a block, a hoodcarried by the block and adapted to cover the spike head, and shoescarried by the block and adapted to enter said tie and extend beneath arail base, the outer ends of the shoes sloping upwardly and inwardly,said shoes when forced into position forming grooves on opposite sidesof the spike, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

HARRY A. MANSFIELD.

Copies of'this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). 0.

